As I was traveling through the West one summer, I was fortunate to see much wildlife, and particularly great horned owls. Starting before sunrise and staying late, long after the sun had set, my experiences included herds of buffalo, elk, moose, deer, and many species of birds.

By the end of my stay, my imagination was filled with the many impressions of this natural world. I painted that famous owl as I had seen him – in the early morning as the mist was slowly vanishing and the sunlight was becoming too strong for his sensitive eyes. He was perched high in a pine tree cleaning his feathers before going to sleep.

The great horned owl is common to all of North America, and for centuries has stood as a symbol of wisdom and knowledge.